A Reusable Framework for Rolling Mills

Work Package 4: Technology Assimilation, Exploitation

This work package has two major goals

"Technology assimilation" will make the necessary provisions
to apply the developed framework at a trial site (VA Stahl). This includes
the development of a simulator, which is necessary to test the derived process
automation software without interfering with the (expensive) rolling mill
hardware and the production process.
Technology assimilation will also make use of the results of work packages
1 to 3 (the framework, the guidelines, and the tools) and will produce a
running process automation software for the selected trial site (VA Stahl).The
software will be derived by customizing the framework according to the specific
needs of VA Stahl. The process will be supported by technical and organizational
guidelines as well as by the developed tools that help to browse and adapt
the framework. Technology assimilation will finally include the training
of the operators and the stuff at the trial site.

"Exploitation" will establish the (pre) marketing and distribution
of the rolling mill framework. Activities will include the creation of awareness
(brochures, seminars, consulting), identifying and tackling target markets,
as well as the refinement of several subframeworks of this project to make
the reusable for other process automation tasks. For the preparation of
marketing and sales activities it is necessary to install and adapt the
required infrastructure (i.e. the distribution, maintenance and training
infrastructure). In this phase the necessary alliances and partnerships
will be launched.